Clubs around Huddersfield

[smokey125]

After what has felt like a lifetime we've finally managed to relocate to Yorkshire. Even if we are temporarily living with the inlaws!

I've had a look at the BMFA site and there are a few clubs in the area as well as the Marsden Moor soaring association.

Do any of you know if there are any single channel flyers at any of the clubs in the area? Or can you recommend one of them, bearing in mind I haven't flow regularly for nearly 20 years and I will effectively be a complete novice.

[Pchristy]

Can't help with the current situation, but a lifetime ago I spent some time working at the Holme Moss transmitter, on top of the moors, outside Huddersfield. Opposite the (long!) drive to the transmitter building was a public car park, overlooking a horse-shoe shaped valley. There was a group of slope-soarers who used it fairly regularly.

I remember sneaking out of work with a colleague one evening and flying my Gangster 48 there. As I had to land low level over the road, the colleague was to warn me of any approaching traffic!

It was only a few hundred yards from the transmitter, which put out around 100KW of 405-line TV, three 10KW VHF radio transmitters, and two 1KW local radio transmitters! And it was the only place my Simprop Digi 5 ever worked reliably.....!

--
Pete

[Phil_G]

Until they lost Tinkers Monument, HDMAC was THE slope soaring club to be in. Big names too, like Duncan Pascoe & Ron Donahue, and it was the HDMAC lads who first discovered the amazing versatility of Dave Hughes' Soarcerer - often beating purpose-designed kippers in competition Sadly the whole club has moved away from slope soaring now, mainly I think because the 'replacement' slope is very poor in comparison. I fondly remember National-level slope aerobatics & pylon racing meetings at Tinkers, it was a fantastic site, with Pat Teakle, Ken Binks, Fossy, Geoff Dalimer and Dave Hughes making long, long pilgrimages to Huddersfield.
I think HDMAC have a few sites for IC or lecky flying now, give them a call. Not sure if you'll find any single-channel enthusiasts though - there are really only two in the Ponty club!
Cheers
Phil

[smokey125]

Pete, I know exactly where your talking about its a nice drive up the hill to the car park. I'll have a look next time I'm over that way.

Thanks Phil, that wasn't one of the clubs I'd even looked at, it didn't come up on the BMFA map search despite being the second closest club! They do still seem to have a big interest in sloping and several different sites that only HDMAC have access to including one described as a good testing/learning site so I think I'll give them a go first.

[Phil_G]

I'd be interested to hear how you get on Doug, sloping is my favourite form of flying once again.
I did go to see the 'Tinkers replacement' slope but didnt take a model. Its part of the same ridge but
not a patch on the original slope. I did hear mumblings of a return to Tinkers but not confirmed
or otherwise. Hope so, I would join them just to use Tinkers. Meanwhile I use Callow (Sheffield),
Nont Sarahs and occasionally Baildon Moor - I've not met another single-channeller at any of them!
Cheers
Phil

[smokey125]

Will do Phil, although with my limited experience I'm not sure how much I'll be able to tell you!
I always loved watching people sloping but there were very limited locations near where I lived and what places there were often had a lot of restrictions and conditions.
I've never done much myself but I'm really looking forward to having a proper go.